Mark Dommen
Executive Chef and Partner
One Market
San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
Mark Dommen, executive chef and partner of One Market Restaurant in San Francisco, happens to also be on a personal crusade to encourage his daughters to eat more fish, knowing it will help them grown into healthier adults. For meat-lovers, he recommends selecting a milder fish that is less oily, as the oil often is responsible for the “fishy” flavor some don’t prefer. He suggested a clean tasting white firm flake fish, such as blue nose or halibut, or the sweeter flesh of salmon or ocean trout. He notes, however, that some farm-raised salmon has a less clean flavor, so he suggests buyers choose carefully. His favorite is Tasmania’s succulent ocean trout.
Dommen finds meat-eaters often approach eating fish with trepidation, so he introduces other elements to the dish, such as the poached egg crowning his signature Tasmanian ocean trout dish. He said he enjoys watching people break the yolk and “ooh and ah” as it flows over the silky flesh of the fish.
Lightly smoked Tasmanian ocean trout "mi cuit"
Serves 4
- 1 lb tasmanian ocean trout
- apple wood smoking chips
- sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon crème fraîche
- 1/2 bunch watercress, cleaned and picked
- 1 large yukon gold potato
- 4 organic chicken eggs, medium sized
- 4 tablespoons grapeseed oil plus 1/2 cup
- 4 oz. pancetta
- 4 small shallots approximately 2 oz. chopped
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
- 1/4 cup wild flower honey
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chives, chopped
Filet the Tasmanian ocean trout and remove the bones but keep the skin on, it's easier to handle in the smoker with the skin on. Place in a cold smoker and smoke over apple wood chips for at least 30 minutes. Remove the filets from the smoker and then remove the skin and any of the fat on the skin side of the filet. Spread a piece of plastic wrap out on a cutting board and wrap the filets together to form a tight tube, this should take several layers of plastic. It should look like a long sausage at this stage. Place the wrapped ocean trout in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cook the yukon gold potato in salted boiling water until cooked but still very firm. The potato is cooked when a metal skewer can penetrate the potato with a little resistance. The potato needs to be firm and not to soft. Drain the potato and when it's cold enough to handle, peel and cut it into a julienne using a Japanese mandolin with the middle-sized teeth. Place the julienne potato into a bowl, and mix to taste with the sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Heat four blini pans over medium heat and place a tablespoon of grapeseed oil in each pan. Divide the potato mixture into each pan and pack down the potatoes until a nice rössti cake forms, cook until a golden crust forms. Turn the potato rössti over and cook until this side also had a golden brown crust. Remove the rössti from the pan and place on a plate lined with a paper towel and keep warm.
For the vinaigrette, cut the pancetta into small pieces and place in a small saucepan over medium heat; render the fat from the pancetta. Drain the pancetta onto a plate lined with paper towel and then add the 1/4 cup of grapeseed oil to the pan along with the chopped shallots. Lower the heat and sweat the shallots until they are translucent. The shallots will pick up some of the color left behind form the pancetta, but they should not caramelize during this process. Next add the sherry vinegar, honey and vegetable stock.
Bring to a boil and then turn down and allow the flavors to come together. This should take about 5 minutes. Add the pancetta back to the vinaigrette and season to taste with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees and add a pan of hot water to the oven to create some humidity or light steam. Portion the ocean trout into 2 oz sized portions by cutting directly across the tube of trout. It is key to leave the trout wrapped with plastic as this will help hold the shape and keep the trout perfectly round. Season the trout with salt and place into the oven at 110 degrees for 18-20 minutes. The trout will cook at this temperature, but it will still have that same raw appearance.
While the trout is cooking, place a medium sized saucepot on the stove and fill it with water to poach the eggs. When the water has come to a boil, add a cup of white wine vinegar to the water and drop in the chicken eggs one at a time. Turn down the heat and cook until the whites are firm but the yolk is still runny. Remove from the water and season with fresh ground pepper and some fleur de sel.
To plate the dish, divide the crème fraîche evenly among four plates. Top the crème fraîche with a warm potato rössti. In a small bowl, toss the watercress with some of the pancetta vinaigrette and divide among the four plates placing it on top of the potato rössti. Remove the tasmanian ocean trout from the oven and remove the plastic wrap. Place the trout on top of the watercress and then the poached egg on top of the trout. Finally, heat the pancetta vinaigrette and finish it with the chopped tarragon and chives and spoon this around the plate.
